Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 – Team Brunel- driving force

by Team Brunel on 14 Nov 2014 Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 – The men and women of the shore crew are the driving force behind the scenes of Team Brunel. While the sailors enjoy a well-earned rest with their families, there’s hard work taking place at the base to get the boat ready for sailing.

'Our team consists of three men. Together, we’re responsible for the maintenance and repair of the boat,' says technical shore manager Arjen van Gent. 'After the end of a leg, our most important task is to clean the boat. Hygiene is extremely important. After all, for the lads on board, the boat is home for more than twenty-five days sometimes. There’s less space in there than in the average student room, and there’s no shower.'

'Although some cleaning is done on the voyage, everything needs a good scrub down after arrival. For the kitchen and head, we use bleach and a disinfectant cleaning agent. We clean the rest of the boat with soap. And on the hull are the names of our sponsors so the outside of the boat should look clean too. We start at 7.30 a.m. and then work for 12 hours straight- we sometimes work longer because in our business you can’t just drop everything at 5.30.'

Arjen and his men get a work list from boat captain Jens Dolmer before arrival. 'We’ve already prepared for our work using his list. This may be getting equipment or organising people so that we can get straight on with maintenance once the cleaning is finished.'

'Exactly when we can make a start depends on the arrival time. If the lads arrive during the day, we lift the boat straight out of the water and take down the mast. If they arrive in the evening or at night, we start the following day.'

Once on land, the boat is first examined for technical defects and structural problems by the Volvo Ocean Race organisation. 'This inspection results in an extra work list. We carry out the maintenance together with Volvo. The organisation and the suppliers of our winches, mast and emergency power supply, for example, have hired in specialists.

The major part of the maintenance takes place in the boatyard. We do the mast maintenance and the sheets ourselves. If people from the outside do maintenance work on the boat, we always look over their shoulders. We always consult each other thoroughly. If they see things that aren’t right, they always tell us and we sort it out together.'

Arjen has his own workplace at the team base. 'Next to the tent where we hold receptions for the sponsors, families and sailors are two big sea containers, one of which is equipped as a workplace. Apart from spares and various tools, we’ve got a compressor, a pillar drill and a lathe. We store gear in the other container. Once the boat has set sail, things like the tent, the RIB and the floor are stored there.'

'We have two sets – one for each stopover. The fact is that a container ship does not sail as fast as a VO65. Apart from that, we have a separate container for things of value such as the personal baggage of the sailors and expensive spares.'

'Besides cleaning and maintenance, we are always on the lookout for small problems before they result in a major problem. If we look the boat over, we always see things that aren’t right. It may be a cable that isn’t connected properly or a worn halyard. Perfection takes time. But there’s simply no extra time available because the stopovers can’t be extended. This is the seventh day after the finish and we’re 95 per cent ready to Event website